This has been an interesting month for our Q5. Not because of where it has gone, but rather why it has hardly gone anywhere. Its 1088 miles recorded in the past four weeks is well off the pace for our mileage-hungry six-month veteran.

At 15,000 miles, our Q5 politely asked for service, and we obliged. $190.47 later we got our Q5 back with fresh oil and filter, a top off of all fluids, and new wiper blades. Also performed was a tire swap to remove the Michelin Alpin winter tires in favor of the original equipment Michelin Latitude Tour HP all-season tires.

Soon after our service visit, the air conditioning began working intermittently. That same weekend, the check engine light came on followed by the Electronic power control (EPC) light. Copy editor Rusty Blackwell, who had the keys, reports: "I started the Q5 yesterday and was greeted with the EPC light and a message prompt not to exceed 4000 rpm. Not only would the Audi not rev past 4000 rpm, but it also wouldn't allow much throttle opening and was therefore very sluggish." So we limped back to the dealer for a check over. The air conditioning issue was addressed by changing the coding. The dealer also had to replace a camshaft adjuster valve; that took a few days because they had to order the part. In all, our Q5 spent seven days out of our hands and cost $60.50 in repairs.

Now that it's back on the road, the Q5 is wasting little time getting back to work. Blackwell notes, "I managed to squeeze a six-foot wide, 29-inch-tall, 18-inch-deep dresser in the Q5. It was tight though; not only did I have to drop the rear seats and cast aside the luggage cover, I also had to move the front passenger seat and seatback all the way forward."

Other staffers continue to draw comparisons with our recently departed four-seasons Infiniti EX35. "Just purely from a numbers perspective, it's remarkable how similar the Q5 is to the EX35," observed production editor Jennifer Misaros. "And yet they feel very different from behind the wheel. The Q5 is a capable and comfortable crossover but to me it feels stiff and heavy whereas the EX35 had an effortlessness about it that made it feel more nimble than the Q5."

Hopefully, the Q5's mechanical glitches are behind it, and Audi's popular crossover can resume racking up miles at a breakneck pace.

We're still three months out from seeing the revised 2010 Ford Mustang at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show, but enthusiasts can bide their time waiting at a new website launched for the car - and possibly even win one.Little more than a Flash-based movie with clips highlighting the pony car's heritage

We've not yet seen the revised 2010 Ford Mustang in its undisguised glory - but we have seen its logo.A staple of the Mustang for some forty years, the galloping horse mascot has been subtly revised for the 2010 pony car.; Ford claims the emblem, which appears more muscular and defined than its pred

August 28, 2008

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